The protective effect of pentobarbital during warm and cold global myocardial ischemia was evaluated in an isolated working heart model using the hypertryphied hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats. After 35 minutes of warm (37 C) or 70 minutes of cold (20 C) global myocardial ischemia, pentobarbital perfused hearts demonstrated better survival than controls. Thus, pentobarbital ameliorates the deleterious effects of warm and cold ischemia in hypertrophied hearts.